Activities
Golf
Welcome to Maui’s world-class golf. For a complete listing of Maui courses, fees, course layout and course descriptions visit: www.Golf-Maui.com
The following website is a comprehensive, award-winning resource covering equipment, technique, courses, travel and more. www.GolfLink.com
Hiking
Check out http://www.mauimapp.com/information/hiking.htm for a list of Maui hiking trails. You may also want to buy a hiking guide at one of the island bookstores. The guides typically give better details about the hikes than the websites do.
You might also try a free trial subscription to Trails.Com (annual fee is $49.95 beyond the trial period).
Kayaking & Sea Canoeing
Rowing is a major sport in Hawaii. It is a great way to get the upper body in shape, check out the whales, and just have some fun. For safety and enjoyment’s sake, early mornings are better, before the trade winds build. The best kayaking/canoeing area is the south shore off of Kihei or Makena, where the sea is typically calm.
We advise talking to an expert. Call Wendall at Tri-Paddle in Wailuku (808-243-7235) or stop by for a visit at 92 N. Market Street #B, Wailuku, HI 96793.
Kiteboarding
Rental gear is not available
As in most areas of the country, kiteboarding equipment is generally not available for rent because of liability. Beginners typically take lessons from one of the schools (which provide the equipment) until they decide whether to continue with the sport.
Respect our sport
Kiteboarding (also known as kitesurfing) is an incredible sport and Maui is one of the best locations in the world to both learn and enjoy it. Kiteboarding is a privilege and not a right. Kiteboarding in some of the prime areas, is granted through a permit from the Federal Aviation Administration which means if we are not respectful of others or don’t follow the rules we could lose our privilege. Here are some “rules of the road” to consider:
Don’t kite before 11:00 a.m.
Many kiting beaches are traditional spots for local fishermen and divers. The 11:00 a.m. rule gives them access to the beach during the morning’s prime fishing time. Besides, the winds seldom get good before 11:00.
Share the beach
Give fishermen and divers their space even during kiting hours. They have been using our beaches a lot longer than we have.
Don’t kite in the “Red Zones”
The Red Zones represent airspace that is regulated by the FAA and include beaches in the proximity of the Kahului Airport. You will be fined if caught and violations jeopardize our permit from the FAA. For a map of the “Red Zone” locations go to:
www.mauikitesurfing.org/kitebeaches_maps.html
Help out at the beach
On Maui, we help our fellow kiteboarders. Always be willing to interrupt what you are doing to assist fellow kiteboarders to launch their kite or to catch their kites when they are returning to shore. You will be appreciated at the beach and it just makes our sport more enjoyable.
Be safe
Find out about local conditions and don’t kite in sea or wind conditions that you are not comfortable with. Avoid kiting in off-shore wind conditions at all times, particularly on the south side—unless you want a free trip to Australia.
Consult with the experts for local conditions
If you are new to kiteboarding in Maui, you will want to contact the experts regarding kiteboarding locations and prevailing conditions. Maui has several kiteboarding shops whose staff have a wealth of knowledge. The following are our favorites, but it’s by no means a complete list:
Neil Pryde Maui, Kahului (Cabrinha gear, great shop, talk to Phil if you are buying gear):
Phone: (808) 877-7443
Website: www.neilprydemaui.com
Hawaiian Island Surf & Sport, Kahului (great shop, good prices; these guys also have wind reports on their website):
Phone: (808) 871-4981
Website: www.mauikites.com
Hi-Tech Surf Sports, Kahului (big inventory):
Phone: (808) 877-2111
Website: http://www.htmaui.com
Kiteboarding instruction
If you want to give kiteboarding a try, do yourself a huge favor and take lessons from a professional instructor. Lessons give you a chance to try out the sport in a relatively safe environment and decide whether you like it before spending several thousand dollars on your own gear. The schools provide all the equipment you will need to learn. (Again, kite-gear rentals are not available on the island, at least not to our knowledge.)
Another benefit of instruction is that it will help you avoid major frustration, scrapes, bruises and scars, not to mention that you will learn a lot faster, without developing bad habits. Lessons are not cheap, but definitely worth every penny. There are a number of good schools on Maui. Two of our favorites are:
Action Sports Maui, Kahului (Talk to Dave; this is our favorite school):
Phone: (808) 871-5857
Dave’s cell: (808) 283-7913
Website: www.actionsportsmaui.comAC’s HST Windsurfing & Kiteboarding School, Kahului (confusing name, but good school; they are in the same building as Hi-Tech):
Phone: (808) 871-5423
Website: www.hstwindsurfing.com
Mountain biking
With its mild weather and varied terrain, Maui has the potential to be a world-class mountain-biking destination. Trail development has been slow, but is begining to take place.
Mountain-bike trails
Most of the good trails on Maui are on private property and closed to the general public without specific permission from the land owners. The bike shops normally will not tell you where the private trails are. However, if you check with the guys at the local bike shops, they may be able to give you some ideas. Also checkout http://www.mauimountainbiking.com/. Some of our favorite trails are:Haiku Trail System There is an trail system outside of Haiku that includes free style courses, as well as single-track. Call Haleakala Bike Company for details Bike Shops.
"Mac Nut" Trail This is a great intermediate to advanced trail, but it is on private property and you will need permission. Check with the Island Biker bike shop in Kahului. Bike Shops.
Polipoli State Park on Haleakala, Mamanie Trail Most of the trails in Polipoli are closed to mountain biking. Unfortunately, the area of the park where the trail is located was devastated by a forest fire in February 2007, and it may be some time before it is fully restored. Check with the local bike shops for current conditions.
Crater Skyline Trail This a cool ride. It is a mountain-bike trail down the back side of Haleakala. Check with the bike shops for more information.
Bike Shops
Click on following link to view our list of bike shops: Bike Shops
Road biking
Now “that’s what we are talking about!” Welcome to paradise for road cycling. For those of you new to bicycling on Maui, we would like to share some of our secrets on safety, gear, great rides and bike shops:
Safety first
After biking here for over 15 years, we think that Maui gets an unwarranted bad reputation as an unsafe place to bike. We have found that Maui drivers are as considerate of bicyclists as drivers anywhere we’ve biked on the Mainland (Washington, Oregon, California, Montana). Having said that, there are still some rules that we follow, particular to Hawaii, that will help decrease the chances of accidents:Avoid biking after 4:00 PM, especially on weekends and during peak tourist periods which are typically holidays and school breaks. This is generally when the bad accidents occur. People on island, both tourists and residents, like to have a good time. This means driving under the influence, which predominantly occurs in the late afternoon and evening hours.
Avoid riding in bad weather and poor visibility. When the weather is bad and visibility is poor, accidents are much more likely to occur. This is especially the case with winding narrow roads with no shoulders. Hana Highway is a great example. It is one of the greatest rides for road biking; however, it is very dangerous when it is dark, due to thick cloud cover or rain. The ride itself isn’t much fun when these conditions are present, either. Make sure you check the weather forecast before you go.
Gear tips
You will want puncture-resistant tires. Puncture-resistant tubes alone won’t cut it. They don’t spend much money on sweeping road shoulders here on Maui. There is a lot of glass and thorns from the kiawe trees. There are times when we have had over four flats on a single bike during a two-hour ride. We would highly recommend getting some Specialized Armadillo tires or an equivalent made by another manufacturer. You do give up a few grams, but the tires are bullet proof, and there is minimal effect on ride quality.
Buy your 12 oz CO2 cartridges at the Sports Authority next to Borders Bookstore in the Maui Marketplace on Dairy Road. You will find the cartridges back where they sell air guns. They are about one-fifth the cost of buying them at the bike shop.Great rides
There are a lot of them on Maui. Here are some of our favorites:
The West Maui Mountains Loop, 100K (60 miles), 4 hours. This is a great ride. You can start anywhere along the loop. We start at the Maui Ocean Center in Maalaea and go clockwise (when the trade winds are blowing) to Lahaina, to Kapalua, around the north-end road through Kahakuloa, to Wailuku, and then back to the Ocean Center. This ride will dazzle you with its raw beauty. The north-end road is very narrow (one lane in many places) and hilly, but we have had no problems in over 30 rides. The traffic is very slow on this section, and even though it’s one lane, there is still plenty of room for a bike and a car to pass.
Hana Highway. This is truly a great ride on a bright and sunny day. We start where the road narrows and the one-way bridges start. It is also great to continue on through Hana and return around the south side of the island, through Kaupo. The road is rough on the Kaupo side, so you will need a mountain bike but we would suggest removing knobby tires and using road tires. It can get hot on the south side, so bring plenty of water and supplies. Check with the bike shops before taking the south route to make sure you can get over the closed bridge.
Makena Loop. This is about a 1.5-hour ride that is very scenic. You can park at the Shops at Wailea. Head south on Makena Alanui to La Perouse. Then head back. On the way back, we like to take a right at the Fairmont Kea Lani hotel, and head up the hill to get some hill work in. Take a left at the top of the hill. Continue through the four-way stop, and then left on the main drag heading back downhill to the Shops at Wailea. For more hill work continue up to Maui Meadows.
Bike shopsThe following are some of the local bike shops that we like:
Kahului-Island Biker; 415 Dairy Road (Specialized dealer; get your Armadillo tires here. their staff does a great job of packing bikes for shipment, and their prices are very reasonable for quality bike rentals):
Phone: (808) 877-7744
Website: www.IslandBikerMaui.comLahaina-West Maui Cycles; 1087 Limahana Place, #6 (quality road-bike rentals, good shop):
Phone: (808) 661-9005
Website: www.WestMauiCycles.comHaiku-Haleakala Bike Co.; 810 Haiku Road, Suite 120 (in the Haiku Cannery mall; limited accessories, good mountain-bike rental location and competitive pricing; experts at Haleakala area rides):
Phone: (808) 575-9575
Website: www.BikeMaui.comKihei-South Maui Bicycles; 1993 S. Kihei Road; (our least favorite shop; “attitude is everything”):
Phone: (808) 874-0068
Website: http://www.stirflux.com
Snorkeling/Diving/Surfing
There are a ton of places on Maui to get snorkeling equipment, but when it comes to getting first-class information on either snorkeling or scuba diving, the choices are limited. One of our very favorite places to get information is the Maui Dive Shop. The staff are friendly, highly professional and knowledgeable. You can visit their website at www.MauiDiveShop.com or call them at 1-800-542-3483. They are “one-stop shopping” for anything to do with snorkeling or diving including equipment, instruction and trips.
Windsurfing
It just doesn’t get any better than Maui when it comes to windsurfing. Maui has it all: world-renowned trade winds, great surf, first class launch sites, and great shops.
Please remember that on Maui there is no windsurfing before 11:00am. This time is set aside for fishermen, divers, swimmers and other beachgoers.
If you are a windsurfer and new to Maui, we recommend that you talk with the pros in the shops about local conditions and windsurfing sites suitable to your ability level. There are a number of great shops on Maui. Three of our favorites are:
Hawaiian Island Surf & Sport, Kahului (great shop, good prices; these guys also have wind reports on their website):
Phone: (808) 871-4981
Website: www.mauikites.com
Hi-Tech Surf Sports, Kahului (big inventory):
Phone: (808) 877-2111
Website: http://www.htmaui.com
Neil Pryde Maui, Kahului (great shop):
Phone: (808) 877-7443
Website: www.neilprydemaui.com
